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emmachisit
Guest
Our family lived at No.27 from 1928 to 1950's - we always considered ourselves to be Astonites.
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HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
we are now using a backup solution
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
alma st
do you remember the williams family the old man ran a shop in Alma st
am trying to find soem photos .
do you remember the williams family the old man ran a shop in Alma st
am trying to find soem photos .
E
emmachisit
Guest
Re Alma St
Hi Colin, Sorry, but I've no memory of a shop run by Williams. We used the shop run by Mr/Mrs Burbeck. They were at 39 I think. Mom used to run a 'tab' there and pay up every Friday. They were always most kind to us kids when we went there on an errand.
Mom used to say"Ask him for half a loaf and ask him to cut it with a jammy knife!".
I have a few photos of the demolition of the street and the construction of the new roads circa 1960. I'll see if I can upload them. :wink:
Hi Colin, Sorry, but I've no memory of a shop run by Williams. We used the shop run by Mr/Mrs Burbeck. They were at 39 I think. Mom used to run a 'tab' there and pay up every Friday. They were always most kind to us kids when we went there on an errand.
Mom used to say"Ask him for half a loaf and ask him to cut it with a jammy knife!".
I have a few photos of the demolition of the street and the construction of the new roads circa 1960. I'll see if I can upload them. :wink:
R
Rod
Guest
pictures
if you send us copies we will upload them onto the mainsite for you, it's not poissible for you to do that yourself. You can of course display them on the forum, to do that youll need to upload them to your own webspace and then Image Link them into the forum, if you need a hand or more advice let me know!!
if you send us copies we will upload them onto the mainsite for you, it's not poissible for you to do that yourself. You can of course display them on the forum, to do that youll need to upload them to your own webspace and then Image Link them into the forum, if you need a hand or more advice let me know!!
E
emmachisit
Guest
Re Alma St
Hi Rod, Thanks for that. I'll have to get back to you on that. Don't have the time at present.
My brother lives up your way, , Amington, Tony Parsons. I'm trying to get him onto the net, but he says he's too old at 77....but I manage ok at 75! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hi Rod, Thanks for that. I'll have to get back to you on that. Don't have the time at present.
My brother lives up your way, , Amington, Tony Parsons. I'm trying to get him onto the net, but he says he's too old at 77....but I manage ok at 75! :lol: :lol: :lol:
R
Rod
Guest
Visit
If you want I could always arrange to visit him, if he wanted? I could show him the site using the laptop, it wouldnt cost him anything!! Ask him and see what he says?
If you want I could always arrange to visit him, if he wanted? I could show him the site using the laptop, it wouldnt cost him anything!! Ask him and see what he says?
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
The williams shop
Thanks for that would really appreciate seeing what you have.
I get around the country a bit if that helps I can facilitate getting them to the governor above.
You know, I think the name you mentioned is being sought by a lady in canada somewhere on this site .will go and have a search in a minute .
When were you there ?
I seem to remember a pub next door to his shop and in the 1960,s a electric substation . does that ring any bells ? there was one of those coaching arches between the two properties
Thanks for that would really appreciate seeing what you have.
I get around the country a bit if that helps I can facilitate getting them to the governor above.
You know, I think the name you mentioned is being sought by a lady in canada somewhere on this site .will go and have a search in a minute .
When were you there ?
I seem to remember a pub next door to his shop and in the 1960,s a electric substation . does that ring any bells ? there was one of those coaching arches between the two properties
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
name search
nope got the name wrong she is searching for someone else but has a williams connection not sure if it is though.
If it is it could be the great grandfather of whom I know very little except that he was a salesman for a brass foundry I think.
I will go and quiz my dear old white haired mum and see what she know s. I,l try and dig out her phots as well. we have the wedding photo of her and dad at aston church next to villa park.
nope got the name wrong she is searching for someone else but has a williams connection not sure if it is though.
If it is it could be the great grandfather of whom I know very little except that he was a salesman for a brass foundry I think.
I will go and quiz my dear old white haired mum and see what she know s. I,l try and dig out her phots as well. we have the wedding photo of her and dad at aston church next to villa park.
E
emmachisit
Guest
Re Alma St
Rod, I've emailed you with regard to the pics.
Colin, I'll get back to you regarding your kind offer.
Rod, I've emailed you with regard to the pics.
Colin, I'll get back to you regarding your kind offer.
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
Enclosed is some family foklore . We were never sure whether these really happened or were just stories made up by my grandfather.I think a little research might shed some light on some of them.
Billy Williams. 1871..1962 ?? Alma Street Aston .
Billy,s father (probably William )was a salesman for a brass foundry in Birmingham and is reputed to have gone all over the world selling brass products.
As a child Billy was taken to see the Wild West Show of Buffalo Bill,s which was touring Europe and appeared I believe in Aston I think around 1910 ?.
Once the show was finished it was custom to keep the Red Indians happy by given them plenty of whisky.
The red Indian however had a low tolerance to alcohol and fights would be normal ,they broke out one night an ran rampage around the Aston Area.
One of his earliest jobs was in partnership with the founder of the Valor fires factory. Apparently Mr Valor would make the fire and Billy Williams would deliver them with a hand cart.The relationship broke up I understand when Billy was unable to invest in the company expansion.
As a “boy “ at the Grand Hotel in Colmore Row , one of his responsibilities was to take the staff uniforms for cleaning in Aston.He would be given the bus fare to get there and back .Being an enterprising young man he worked out that if he went out on the bus and run back he could save the bus fare. However on one occasion coming back he was distracted by a hue and cry outside a house in Alma St Aston, He stayed to watch the proceedings and to see the body of a murdered woman being brought from her home.This distraction delayed his return to work and of course this was the end of his hotel career.
A proposed emigration to America was cut short by the way that he was treated on Ellis Island and perhaps failure to secure work in the country.
Billy Williams was a famous London Music Hall star known as the man in the velvet suit. He was one of the earliest music hall stars to record his music onto the new invention of the phonograph
Grandfather was reported as saying that he also appeared on the Music Hall stage at the Aston Hippodrome as a song and dance man.
called the Billy Williams of Birmingham.
I think he was ladies man and a bit of a romancer there is some indication that he had a ladies in a number of places.
I have to say i'n not sure what to believe but they are good stories anyway
As a married man
Billy had two families his first wife from whom he had two sons , Billy and Tom and a daughter Maud (now HART)
His second wife Kathleen Kelly was mother to my father Leonard Joseph
My father was born in Alma Street Aston where Billy and his wife had a shop. The shop when I knew it in the late 1950,s early 1960,s sold cigarettes, cycle repair kits and razor blades, sweets . Billy would have been in his 80,s by then .
The shop as far as I can remember was on the left up Alma street next to a Public house divided by an arch there was a small yard at the rear.
The shop was small and led into the living room at the back. This room consisted of a table with a wooden bench seat and a couple of chairs and a fire Mother tells me that I was the apple of my grandmothers eye and would be put on a stool next to the fire whereas the rest of the family would be over by the table.
In the right hand corner was a curtain that lead to the upstairs rooms. Behind the living area was a small kitchen and then onto a very small yard.
I can remember we were given fig biscuits to eat .
The shop in its heyday I think sold Bicycles (probably Hercules) and later was one of the first shops to sell the flat disc records .As an aid to selling these Billy had a HMV record player with horn attached.
One of his side interests was to loan money to people.
One story goes that a friend who was in need of money came to Billy asking for a loan. Billy didn’t want to lend him the money but said he would find a way of earning money. It was arranged that the friend would return that evening with a pram.
On the evening they loaded the pram with the HMV player and some records and went to the local pubs and with the permission of the landlord play records to the drinkers,
Pubs in those days would have a single bar that served each of the bars in the pub i.e. the smoke, bar ,snug etc.(for those that can remember early Coronation street episodes the Rovers Return would be similar ) The record player would be placed behind the bar thus sending its music into the various bars.Then Billy and the friend would visit each in turn and take a collection in their hats.
This was very successful and a few nights work enabled them to clear the debt.
Was this the first mobile disco in Birmingham ?
He owned cars one of the first being a Morgan 3 wheeler which had to be sold when my father a small child fell out of a dicky seat going round a corner.
Sundays were trips out to the pub in the country and my father tells me that he (my Dad) had many little girlfriends in the pubs around birmingham
THE NEXT GENERATION.
Len Williams Died in 1994 aged 69.
Mother has started to get these details.for us which I hope will include his jobs how they met, courting antics in the 1940,s, the war in the area.
Mom is from Hastings Rd in Witton and is one of the GASCOIGNE family who were there form 1923 to the late 1980,s.
I,m sure i can persued her to post the gascoigne history as well.
If anyone can verify any of these it would be really interesting.
Billy Williams. 1871..1962 ?? Alma Street Aston .
Billy,s father (probably William )was a salesman for a brass foundry in Birmingham and is reputed to have gone all over the world selling brass products.
As a child Billy was taken to see the Wild West Show of Buffalo Bill,s which was touring Europe and appeared I believe in Aston I think around 1910 ?.
Once the show was finished it was custom to keep the Red Indians happy by given them plenty of whisky.
The red Indian however had a low tolerance to alcohol and fights would be normal ,they broke out one night an ran rampage around the Aston Area.
One of his earliest jobs was in partnership with the founder of the Valor fires factory. Apparently Mr Valor would make the fire and Billy Williams would deliver them with a hand cart.The relationship broke up I understand when Billy was unable to invest in the company expansion.
As a “boy “ at the Grand Hotel in Colmore Row , one of his responsibilities was to take the staff uniforms for cleaning in Aston.He would be given the bus fare to get there and back .Being an enterprising young man he worked out that if he went out on the bus and run back he could save the bus fare. However on one occasion coming back he was distracted by a hue and cry outside a house in Alma St Aston, He stayed to watch the proceedings and to see the body of a murdered woman being brought from her home.This distraction delayed his return to work and of course this was the end of his hotel career.
A proposed emigration to America was cut short by the way that he was treated on Ellis Island and perhaps failure to secure work in the country.
Billy Williams was a famous London Music Hall star known as the man in the velvet suit. He was one of the earliest music hall stars to record his music onto the new invention of the phonograph
Grandfather was reported as saying that he also appeared on the Music Hall stage at the Aston Hippodrome as a song and dance man.
called the Billy Williams of Birmingham.
I think he was ladies man and a bit of a romancer there is some indication that he had a ladies in a number of places.
I have to say i'n not sure what to believe but they are good stories anyway
As a married man
Billy had two families his first wife from whom he had two sons , Billy and Tom and a daughter Maud (now HART)
His second wife Kathleen Kelly was mother to my father Leonard Joseph
My father was born in Alma Street Aston where Billy and his wife had a shop. The shop when I knew it in the late 1950,s early 1960,s sold cigarettes, cycle repair kits and razor blades, sweets . Billy would have been in his 80,s by then .
The shop as far as I can remember was on the left up Alma street next to a Public house divided by an arch there was a small yard at the rear.
The shop was small and led into the living room at the back. This room consisted of a table with a wooden bench seat and a couple of chairs and a fire Mother tells me that I was the apple of my grandmothers eye and would be put on a stool next to the fire whereas the rest of the family would be over by the table.
In the right hand corner was a curtain that lead to the upstairs rooms. Behind the living area was a small kitchen and then onto a very small yard.
I can remember we were given fig biscuits to eat .
The shop in its heyday I think sold Bicycles (probably Hercules) and later was one of the first shops to sell the flat disc records .As an aid to selling these Billy had a HMV record player with horn attached.
One of his side interests was to loan money to people.
One story goes that a friend who was in need of money came to Billy asking for a loan. Billy didn’t want to lend him the money but said he would find a way of earning money. It was arranged that the friend would return that evening with a pram.
On the evening they loaded the pram with the HMV player and some records and went to the local pubs and with the permission of the landlord play records to the drinkers,
Pubs in those days would have a single bar that served each of the bars in the pub i.e. the smoke, bar ,snug etc.(for those that can remember early Coronation street episodes the Rovers Return would be similar ) The record player would be placed behind the bar thus sending its music into the various bars.Then Billy and the friend would visit each in turn and take a collection in their hats.
This was very successful and a few nights work enabled them to clear the debt.
Was this the first mobile disco in Birmingham ?
He owned cars one of the first being a Morgan 3 wheeler which had to be sold when my father a small child fell out of a dicky seat going round a corner.
Sundays were trips out to the pub in the country and my father tells me that he (my Dad) had many little girlfriends in the pubs around birmingham
THE NEXT GENERATION.
Len Williams Died in 1994 aged 69.
Mother has started to get these details.for us which I hope will include his jobs how they met, courting antics in the 1940,s, the war in the area.
Mom is from Hastings Rd in Witton and is one of the GASCOIGNE family who were there form 1923 to the late 1980,s.
I,m sure i can persued her to post the gascoigne history as well.
If anyone can verify any of these it would be really interesting.
sylviasayers
master brummie
Billy Williams
Hi Colin,
Do you know whether your grandmother Kathleen Kelly was previously married and widowed before she married your grandad?
Hi Colin,
Do you know whether your grandmother Kathleen Kelly was previously married and widowed before she married your grandad?
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
I,m not sure if Kathleen was a widow i,ll ask the momma ..
She was know as Kate and I gather would have mostly been the person serving in the shop.
We have a few photos of her in the 1940,s.
I have got the momma geared up to sorting these out so we can post them .
She was know as Kate and I gather would have mostly been the person serving in the shop.
We have a few photos of her in the 1940,s.
I have got the momma geared up to sorting these out so we can post them .
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
alma st
found our shop
it was 117 Alma st William Jas williams 1943 .
found our shop
it was 117 Alma st William Jas williams 1943 .
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emmachisit
Guest
Re: Williams's shop - Alma St.
Colin, I must have popped in there dozens of times on my walk down to see my Gran (Unett St, Hockley), cigs & sweets (?). I was 15 in 1943, such a while ago. Can't say I remember any of the people in the shop though. I seem to remember a bus stop outside the shop - going twds sixways. There was also a coffee shop/cafe on the corner just below, at the junction with Gerrard St - inner circle bus route. Always had steamed up windows. :roll:
Colin, I must have popped in there dozens of times on my walk down to see my Gran (Unett St, Hockley), cigs & sweets (?). I was 15 in 1943, such a while ago. Can't say I remember any of the people in the shop though. I seem to remember a bus stop outside the shop - going twds sixways. There was also a coffee shop/cafe on the corner just below, at the junction with Gerrard St - inner circle bus route. Always had steamed up windows. :roll:
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
pop in
I bet you were getting woodbines.
You little tinker
I bet you were getting woodbines.
You little tinker
E
emmachisit
Guest
Re: Alma St
Just remembered the name of the cafe - Jelfs. I think they had other premises in the area.
And no, it wasn't woodbines - gran smoked Park Drive.
Just remembered the name of the cafe - Jelfs. I think they had other premises in the area.
And no, it wasn't woodbines - gran smoked Park Drive.
C
colinwilliams1
Guest
look in place name enquiries
Hi
I'm getting confused about where I have posts here .
So i,m going to concentrate my posts in PLACE NAME ENQUIRIES.
and add my memories in history ..
Emma have a look in Place name enquiries and you will see these wonderful people here have found out quite a lot about the Williams in Alma street.
And the cafe is mentioned as well .
I,m going to sign off on the this thread and hope to see you in the PLACE NAME Enquries ..
Hi
I'm getting confused about where I have posts here .
So i,m going to concentrate my posts in PLACE NAME ENQUIRIES.
and add my memories in history ..
Emma have a look in Place name enquiries and you will see these wonderful people here have found out quite a lot about the Williams in Alma street.
And the cafe is mentioned as well .
I,m going to sign off on the this thread and hope to see you in the PLACE NAME Enquries ..
S
shannon
Guest
Aston
Would your mother know of a family of boys names Clarke who lived at 179 Clifton Road in the early 1950's?
Kathy
Would your mother know of a family of boys names Clarke who lived at 179 Clifton Road in the early 1950's?
Kathy
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emmachisit
Guest
Hi Sid, My dad was the captain of the darts team at the "Sally" for a few years in the '50's. His speciality was chucking sharpened 6" nails into the board for bets!
Seem to remember the 'antiques'shop as a 2nd hand furniture shop, but that was in the 30's when I was but a nipper.
My most outstanding memory of the street was 21st November 1940 when a UXB embedded itself in the middle of the road - outside our house. We stopped in the church hall of Sacred Heart, Witton for a few days whilst 'they' dug it out. Exciting days. ;D
Seem to remember the 'antiques'shop as a 2nd hand furniture shop, but that was in the 30's when I was but a nipper.
My most outstanding memory of the street was 21st November 1940 when a UXB embedded itself in the middle of the road - outside our house. We stopped in the church hall of Sacred Heart, Witton for a few days whilst 'they' dug it out. Exciting days. ;D
Sid Walker
knowlegable brummie
We must have been neighbours. I was a 'nipper' in the 30's ,and remember the bomb. Also I was a barman for a while at the Sally. I lived in Alma St No 65 and left before the bulldozers gave it a facelift. I wasn't impressed with what replaced the area when I lasted visited, a great pity!! only memories left of the good and bad times.
E
emmachisit
Guest
Hi Sid,
Our abode was 27 Alma St. We spent many a night in the shelter in 'our gardin' when we weren't evacuated (twice). The Piggotts lived next door at 25 and kept a sweet shop. Joyce and her elder sister lived there with their parents. The two houses were seperated, at the rear, by a line of buildings stretching up to the top of the garden and comprised of a scullery, a small store, the outside lav and a miskin area to keep the dustbin and various bits of essential treasures to build bikes and go-carts and the like.
No.25 had identical accommodations on their side of the building. So at times, it got quite chatty when there wasn't much to read on the newspaper squares, which were hung up on a nail in the wall. Summer time wasn't too bad in the lav - but in the winter woweee the wind used to whistle in around the door, which just about fitted where it touched.  :2funny:
There are bits and pieces in the Poetry Section and the Wedding Section (Aston Parish Church) also a few pics of the area prior to the demolition of the old haunts which I have submitted on previous occasions. They may jog a memory or two.
Our abode was 27 Alma St. We spent many a night in the shelter in 'our gardin' when we weren't evacuated (twice). The Piggotts lived next door at 25 and kept a sweet shop. Joyce and her elder sister lived there with their parents. The two houses were seperated, at the rear, by a line of buildings stretching up to the top of the garden and comprised of a scullery, a small store, the outside lav and a miskin area to keep the dustbin and various bits of essential treasures to build bikes and go-carts and the like.
No.25 had identical accommodations on their side of the building. So at times, it got quite chatty when there wasn't much to read on the newspaper squares, which were hung up on a nail in the wall. Summer time wasn't too bad in the lav - but in the winter woweee the wind used to whistle in around the door, which just about fitted where it touched.  :2funny:
There are bits and pieces in the Poetry Section and the Wedding Section (Aston Parish Church) also a few pics of the area prior to the demolition of the old haunts which I have submitted on previous occasions. They may jog a memory or two.
R
Rod
Guest
Could you both perhaps write your wartime memories in more detail? It would make a smashing addition to the Aston Home Front presentations?
E
emmachisit
Guest
Rod,
Sounds like a good idea...what about it Sid? I'll show you mine if you show us you'rn! ;D
Sounds like a good idea...what about it Sid? I'll show you mine if you show us you'rn! ;D
E
emmachisit
Guest
Further to the above, can I draw your attention to the following url's which contain items which I have previously submitted on the Astonbrook-through-astonmanor site. I can't find a link to them from this site.
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/id151.htm
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/id172.htm
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/home39.htm  (Poetry - Our Line)
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/home33.htm  (Aston Weddings)
All the above were entered under my name Bill Parsons. Hope this post is in accordance to Rules & Regs etc.
olice:
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/id151.htm
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/id172.htm
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/home39.htm  (Poetry - Our Line)
https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/home33.htm  (Aston Weddings)
All the above were entered under my name Bill Parsons. Hope this post is in accordance to Rules & Regs etc.
olice:
T
tilly
Guest
My Mum lived in Alma Street cant remember the number, family name Eagles/Ryder/Thompson. Ring any bells?
She went to Gem Street School 1924+
She went to Gem Street School 1924+
D
dollyferret
Guest
alma st today,60 years ago ,it was a better class of a dump,if you know what i mean,the snow was that bad when i was born ,my mom and dad carried me all the way down park lane to the cross to grannies as grandad was pinching all the fences for the fire,in case i froze to death,i bet theres not many of you who would like to move back here,would you
